A Million Dreams
by Kat0203
Summary: An evolution of Cora and Robert's relationship from the moment they met.
1. Take My Hand

The pale yellow glow of the street light illuminated the road below. Despite the late hour, Cora could still here laughter and chatter and she wished she could join them. The warm July breeze made it the perfect environment and for a moment the party was forgotten. How could her mother think that Cora could find a suitable husband here? They arrived two weeks ago and since then her days were filled with dancing with eligible bachelors old enough to be her father. All Cora wanted now was to go home, back to the New York life she was accustomed to. She felt tears forming in her eyes. The large droplets of water falling from the sky did not help lighten her mood. To Cora's surprise, she heard someone join her on the balcony. Blinking away her tears, she turned around to put a face to the stranger. What she saw was a young man, not much older than herself, who seemed just as surprised at she was to find someone else in this secluded place.

"I am sorry. I don't mean to interrupt. I didn't realise there was anyone else here," he uttered quickly before adding "I'll leave you alone," and turning to leave.

"No wait!" Cora surprised even herself. Perhaps it was the surprise of finding someone her age, but she knew she wanted to talk to him more. "I wouldn't want to monopolise the balcony and you look like you need some fresh air," she added quickly, trying to explain her previous outburst, but in retrospect, this sounded much better in her head than it did out loud. Cora may not have found someone to marry during her trip to London, but she definitely learned a thing or two about the English code of etiquette and speaking one's mind was on top of every 'don't do' list. For a moment they stood in awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say next.

"I suppose I do. It is rather stuffy in there." Her frankness baffled him but it was certainly refreshing. "It's nice weather outside, isn't it?" He couldn't think of anything else to say and it only later occurred to him that it started to rain. Cora looked out towards the street. _Goodness the English talked a lot about the weather!_ She thought, but as she considered the young man's observation, it dawned on her that in spite of the rain, this was the first time the city did not look miserable.

"It's not bad," she replied, moving her glaze to the man, who now stood next to her. If they are going to stand there, they were going to have to have better conversations than those about the weather, but since her companion remained silent, it was up to her to take the lead.

"Are you often in London?"

"Occasionally, but I wouldn't say often." Surprised by her lead but somehow desperate to know more about her, he asked her the same question.

"Oh no," Cora answered, not sure how much information to give,"this is actually my first time."

"Really? And what do you think of it?" Usually he found himself introverted and apprehensive when talking to women but somehow now it was easy, almost natural.

"Well honestly I think it's a little too quiet for my liking"

"Quiet? I wouldn't recommend the countryside then." This woman amazed him. Who finds London is quiet? "Where are you from then?"

"New York."

"Can't say I've ever been."

"It's a nice place, though I wouldn't recommend it if you dislike loud cities." Cora smiled, and for the first time in two weeks that smile was genuine. This was the first man she met during one of these balls who did not make her want to run away after every conversation, and even if this would be the last time they paths cross, she needed to know the name of the mysterious stranger who made her evening a little less dreadful.

"I don't believe we've been introduced yet."

"Right. I apologise. That was terribly rude of me. Robert Crawley." He was about to add the numerous titles that were attributed to him, but realised that he wanted at least one person to know him as a person and not a Lord.

"Cora Levinson." Then they heard the music finish in the ballroom. "I suppose we ought to go back inside."

"I guess you are right." Robert started heading towards the glass doors that separated the balcony and the ballroom when he stopped and looked back at Cora. "I don't suppose you are free for a dance?"

"As a matter of fact, I think I am." Honestly Cora had not idea, but there was no way she was going to pass a chance to dance with this Mr Crawley. She took his outstretched hand and they walked into the ballroom. As they walked inside, Cora could feel everyone's eyes turn to look at her and for the first time, she didn't care. The music started and the floor filled up with dancing couples.

"Do you know this tune?" Robert inquired, curious to find out more about his partner but still not adept at small talk.

"No, I'm afraid I don't." Cora noticed the change in his expression. He gave her a questioning look, as if her inability to answer such a simple question now made her an unqualified dance partner.

"It's The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss." After that, they danced in silence until the music stopped. Neither of them wanted the dance to end, but Cora could see her mother gesturing to her that it's time for them to leave.

"I think I have to go, but thank you for the wonderful dance." For a moment she looked into Robert's eyes, trying to decipher whether he was happy or sad to see her leave, and came to the conclusion that it was hopeless to try and tell an Englishman's emotions. She smiled at him one last time and followed her mother out of the building. Cora didn't talk during the ride back to the hotel, her conversations with Robert playing on repeat in her mind. This made Martha Levinson even more determined to find out more about this young man who had obviously left such an impression on her daughter.


	2. The Girl With Blue Eyes

It took Robert hours to fall asleep that night. Whenever he would close his eyes, Cora's face would appear, her clear blue eyes staring playfully at him. Yet he still could not for the life of him figure out why he was so fascinated by her. Robert had met countless women during this season, but they were all blurred in his mind. Perhaps that was what interested him so much about Cora: she did not quite fit the mould. She did not treat him like a king and she did not go out of her way to flirt with him. Before he knew it, Robert resolved to see this Miss Levinson again.

After many torturous hours, the tall grandfather clock in Grantham House struck seven and it seemed like a decent time to get out of bed. Robert rolled over and pulled on the burgundy rope hanging from the ceiling. Within an couple of minutes, his valet arrived and got him dresses for breakfast.

The meal was mostly a silent affair, as usual, with only a few feeble attempts at conversation by Robert's sister Rosamund. However, once she had left and Robert got up to back to his bedroom, his father held him back.

"Robert, would mind staying here for a minute? There is something I need to discuss with you." Richard Crawley was not a large man, nor was he a loud one, but people generally obeyed him, especially Robert.

"Of course Papa." Robert sat back down in his chair and listened patiently for his father's next words, completely unsure of what they were going to be. He had rarely seen him so serious.

"You are a grown man now, Robert, so I'm not going to pretend. If you are to take on the estate after I die, you are going to have to be in possession of the facts." Richard paused a moment to take a sip of his tea. "The truth is, the family is in trouble, financially I mean, and has been for quite some time. I didn't want to tell you this before, but since we are here for the Season, I thought this would be a good time."

"What does the Season have to do with it all?" Robert, of course, knew the answer, but he wanted his father to say it.

"You are 22 years old, son, it's about time you got settled." There was no emotion in his voice. He could just as well have been reading aloud a newspaper.

"So that's it then? Am I just supposed to find some rich girl? What about love and all that?" Robert felt rage sweep over him like wind, but he had to remain steady. It won't help his case to lose his temper.

"Not anyone. Just find a nice enough girl you wouldn't mind looking at for the next 40 years. You have to do your part."

Robert quickly nodded and left the dining room. Upon reaching his bedroom, he swung the door open and was about to fall into the bed when he saw Rosamund sitting in an armchair facing the window.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to storm out." Rosamund looked at her brother in a way that vaguely reminded him of Cora.

"I didn't storm out. You forget, not everyone can be as bold with Papa as you and get away with it." Their parent were not affectionate people, but it was clear to everyone that Rosamund was her father's girl.

"So, who is to be the lucky bride?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"You know, Lucy Johnstone was eyeing you all night at yesterday's ball."

"Lucy Johnstone is a stuck up bore and you know it."

"And what about that other girl?"

"What other girl?"

"The one you danced with at the very end, the one in the pale blue dress?"

"She was nice, but I hardly know anything about her. If I am going to marry someone, I want to know more about her than her name."

"Tell you what, we are invited to Lady Myers's ball on Wednesday. No doubt she will be there and I will find out what I can. Now, if you will excuse me, I am meeting up with friends." She gave Robert a quick peck on the cheek and left the room. His relationship with his sister was complicated, but he knew she would keep her word and do as she promised. And who knew, perhaps she was right and Cora would be the one. Of course he did not love her, but if he was ordered to marry someone, Robert would prefer to marry someone he liked spending time with, and if he were honest, he did not detest her company as much he did the other young women he met this Season. Perhaps everything would be alright.


	3. Just Let Me Know

Cora sat at her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Taking a small bottle of perfume, she smelt it and dabbed a little on her neck. Lost in thought, she almost did not hear someone knock on her bedroom door. Whether she heard it or not was of course irrelevant, as Martha would have come in regardless of the answer.

"What's the matter, Cora? You look miles away." She came closer and gave her daughter a kiss on the top of her head.

"Nothing's the matter." Cora knew saying any more would provoke questions and she was not in the mood to deal with them.

"Alright then." Martha wasn't one to give up, but she had more important things to talk about. "Who was that man you were dancing with yesterday?"

"You're aren't one to beat about the bush, are you?" Cora let out a small laugh. "His name is Robert Crawley and that's all I know." This satisfied Martha immensely for it was the first name her daughter managed to remember. Usually the men were referred to as Lord Something-Or-Other or Mr So-and-So. She also noticed the way Cora's lips curled slightly at the edges when she said his name.

"Well then, let's hope he will be at tonight's ball. I will see you downstairs." Having said that, Martha left the room, leaving her daughter alone to once again reflect on last night's events. Notwithstanding her mother's insolent question, she did have a point: Cora only knew his name. What if he was just being nice to her because she was so clearly out of place in an English ballroom? Or worse, what if he liked the size of her dowry more than he could ever love her?

Banishing those thoughts from her mind, Cora decisively stood up, straightened out the creases on her lilac-coloured dress, descended down the grand staircase of the hotel and joined Martha in the carriage.

It was not a long ride but for Cora it seemed like forever, just like the rides to every other ball she has been to since her arrival in London. At last, the carriage drew up before a grand white house.

"Mrs Martha Levinson and Miss Cora Levinson." As soon as the names were announced, all eyes turned to stare at them. The snide comments and rude remarks did not escape Cora and she wondered if her mother heard them too. There obviously were such words aimed at her back in New York, but then she had friends to go and talk to, and the sayings were easy to ignore. Now she had no one. No one to walk over to and share a laugh with.

Just as she was about to hide in a corner like she always did, Cora noticed a young woman head in her direction. Taking a deep breath, Cora prepared for another round of cleverly concealed insults, but the woman gave her an honest smile.

"You must be Miss Levinson." The woman was wearing a dark green gown and a silver thread was laced through her strawberry blonde hair. Cora was sure she had seen here at these balls before though they haven't talked.

"I am. And you?"

"Lady Rosamund."

"Nice to meet you."

"So, what brings you to London?"

"I have a very determined mother." Cora did not know whether she could speak so freely but she liked Lady Rosamund and could she she was an easy-going person.

Her mind was put to rest when Rosamund replied with "Glad to know I'm not the only one."

Unlike her brother, Rosamund was most at ease in social situations. She loved meeting new people, and that was not something she could often do at Downton, so whenever she found herself in London, she took it upon herself to go out and socialise. This year, she was finally presented and could now do so without having to fight with her mother about it.

"Have you done much sightseeing while you're in the city?" Rosamund thought Cora looked frightfully nervous and was determined to ease her up before attempting to find out any information for Robert.

"Not much, but I did see the Houses of Parliament during my ride to the hotel, and Mother promised to take me to the South Kensington Museum before we leave."

"I haven't been there in quite a while, but I remember it was quite beautiful." Rosamund could easily see why her brother was so captivated by this girl. She was pretty, of course, with porcelain skin any girl in this room would be jealous of, even if they would not admit it, and yet she was smart and witty, which is more than could be said of quite a few of the women present. It was also beyond her how Cora managed to keep herself so composed when she must have heard all those terrible things said behind her back.

Cora was quite enjoying her conversation with Lady Rosamund when she caught sight of a man approaching them. She felt her heart beat a little faster when she saw this man was Robert Crawley.

"Oh Robert, come join us!" To Cora's surprise, she noticed that the two knew each other. "Miss Levinson and I were just getting to know each other. This is my brother, Lord Downton." Rosamund was obviously unaware that Cora did not know the man by his proper title, and Robert was obviously uncomfortable at the fact that she know did.

"Please to meet you, Lord Downton." Cora said with a smile, adding the last part in a slightly mocking fashion.

The butler of the house came into the room and announced that dinner was served, and Rosamund said, looking at her brother, "Robert, why don't you escort Miss Levinson into the dining room," and left them to join her friends.

"You needn't if you don't want to." Robert said at last, unsure of what his sister had said about him.

"Are you determined to put me off?"

"Well, if you are sure." Robert offered his hand, which Cora gratefully took.


	4. Till We Meet Again

"What do you mean you want to bring her to Downton? She's an American for God's sake!" Violet's voice bellowed throughout the entire house. The Crawley family were gathered in the small library of Downton Abbey after dinner. It was a rare night when they were not entertaining and Robert decided it was as good a time as ever to mention Miss Levinson to his parents. Apparently he had been mistaken.

"Oh Mama, how can you be so prejudiced." Rosamund rolled her eyes. She was used to fighting Robert's battles when it came to their mother.

"Rosamund stay out of this." Her father warned her. Though he would never admit it, Richard felt scared every time his wife shouted. She had such a voice that could cause the ground to tremble. "Robert, I'm sure Miss Levinson is a perfectly nice girl but is it really necessary to bring her here?" It was a last feeble attempt to break up the argument before too much damage had been done.

Robert took a deep breath. "You're right. She is perfectly nice. I certainly think her much nicer than those other girls you insist on me meeting." He took care with his words. "Besides, she is a foreigner in this country. Shouldn't we show her some English hospitality?" Violet remained silent.

When she saw her brother's reasoning lost on their mother, Rosamund glanced at Robert and, once receiving an approving nod from him, said, "You know, Mama, this would be your opportunity to show an American just how much better the English are at everything." This proved too good a bait for Violet to resist.

"I suppose." Trying her best to hide her contentment, she added, "Robert, you can invite her to come next Wednesday. We are having a dinner party then and she could meet some of our family friends." With this, she stood up from the settee and walked out of the library.

"Are you sure it would be such a great idea?" Richard was now having his own doubts about the whole scheme.

"Papa, you were the one who said to find a wife, and Cora Levinson has enough money to save the estate three times over."

Defeated, Richard took a last sip from the whisky glass in his hand and was almost out of the door when he added, "I just don't want to see made an irreversible mistake."

Once their parents were gone, Robert and Rosamund were left to have one of their rare heart-to-heart discussions.

"Have you decided on marrying her?" Rosamund was desperate for inside information. The idea that Robert has something exciting going on his life pleased her to no end.

"Goodness, Rosamund? Do you think this is some kind of novel? I met her last week."

"And you've already had a fight with Mama about her. That's a sure sign of an impending marriage." She was teasing him, of course, but this was no light matter. There were many times when she woke up thanking her lucky stars that she was born a girl and do more or less as she desired when it came to finding a partner.

"Besides, if I ask her to marry me, she's going to have to know the full story. She would have to know that I don't love her, not yet anyway."

"Are you sure you don't?"

"Yes I'm sure." Robert had enough of this conversation now. It was too late in the evening to think about his feelings. "What would you know about love? I have seen you flirt with at least twenty men since Tuesday and you've only been presented two weeks ago."

Rosamund did not care for this type of talk and promptly excused herself, saying all these discussions made her tired.

Robert may have been already in his early twenties but the prospect of marriage terrified him speechless. The idea that someone would be entrusted to his care for the rest of their lives, the idea of seeing the same person first thing in the morning and last thing before falling asleep, the idea of having children...

Children... He hadn't even thought about children yet. Not only did he have a duty to marry someone rich enough to save the estate, but he also needed to produce an heir for Downton. How on earth could he be expected to do everything? Robert was not even an Earl, and yet his responsibility, his duty, was already resting heavily on his shoulders.

Robert looked around the library. How many of his predecessors had sat in this very spot, thinking about their futures? Were they just as scared as he was? He decided that if his sanity was to remain intact, he would have to take things one step at a time.

And the first step was to bring Cora Levinson to Downton Abbey.


End file.
